ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · lash · pop · track · cap · coach · arm · file

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cap — a lid
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — a song
  13. scale — in music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. file — a document
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. file — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com